Valve actuator



March 21, 1939. r .1. BERl-:GH

" VALVE AcTUAToR Filed April 22, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 21, 1939. T, J, BEREGH I 2,151,074

VALVE ACTUATOR ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 21, 1939 VALVE ACTUAT'OR Theodore J. Beregh, Patchogue, N. Y.

Application April 22, 1937, Serial No. 138,337 9 claims. (o1. 137-145) VT'his invention relates to improvements in valve actuators, and has relationship particuy larly to means for preventing offset by spraying the printed sheets with non-oisetting fluid, and in detail relates to the automatic timing device or trip for releasing the spray inproper amount at the right time.

Objects The objects of the invention are to provide an improved timing or tripping device of the char- `acter. indicated; to provide for accurate timing of the duration of the spray; to utilize valves .nowy on the market and adapt the tripping mechanism to accommodate rtherequisite movement of the valve stem forsecuring the desired spray;

' to provide a device which employs direct thrust upon the valve; to avoidl any bending or twisting force rupon the valve stem; to provide a snap trip so as: to assure prompt and complete closing of the valve; to enable the parts which constitute the snap trip to be made of hard metal and to have a relative adjustment for taking up wear that may occur between them; to operate the f timing or tripping device from a moving part of g theY invention mounted upon a part of the press; to attainprecision of tripping regard- Y less of the precision of movement of the part of the press actuating the device; to provide few and easily replaceable parts; to secure simplicity the spray;

yFigure 3 is an elevation of the valve controlling the spray'with the tripping or timing device of the present invention associated therewith;

Figure 4 is an edge View of the same showing the press shown in section; and f Figures 5- and 6 are views similar to Figure-3 with rthe tripping device shown in successive stages of operation in eifectingthe tripping and v releasing of the valve stem.y 50 f Description In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in said drawings, the reference numeral LIllindicates a conventional printing press of reciprocating typer wherein carriage H moves horizontally back and forth. It is not necessary to enter into a discussion of the various parts oi' the press or of its operation. Suice it to say, as the carriage moves back and forth the cylinder thereon engages a form when moving in one 5 direction, and is raised on of the form so as not to print when moving in the other direction, and after the paper is printed it is automatically `removed or discharged and stacked upon a. table I2. When the sheet is discharged upon the table it is at the top of the stack,y and in order to prevent oisetting of the ink between the top sheet and the next one to be applied, a spray I3 of certain non-offsetting iluid known in the trade is appliedto each sheet before another one is 5 placed thereon. For this purpose a spray gun Iii is shown above the table l2, said gun receiving the non-onsetting iiuid from a tank l5 or suitable source, the iluid being atomized and sprayed by air pressure entering the spray gun through an air supply pipe I6. The present invention relates particularly to the automatic opening and closing of a valve Il situated in this air supply pipe I6.

However, before entering into a discussion of 25 the control, let it be saidy that a suitable source of air supply must be maintained, and this can be conveniently done as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 by having a cylinder I8 axially parallel to the direction of movement of the carriage il and providedwith a piston i9 therein actuated by a piston rod 20 connected to the carriage so that as the carriage moves back and forth the piston creates pressure in a storage tank 2l from which the pressure cannot return to the cylinder because of interposedy check valves 22. By this means, the' press itself is self-contained in connection with the source of air supply, the air supply control and the gun using the air. However, the invention is not restricted to the par- 40 ticular source of air supply illustrated.

The particular timing or tripping mechanism employed in operating valve Il, preferably comprises the several instrumentalities illustrated more in detail in Figures 3 to 6. In those g- 45 ures it will be observed that a bracket 23 is provided one leg of` which may be bolted to' a fixed part of the press and the lower leg of which projects horizontally outward from the press with an appropriate opening therein for receiving the neck of valve Il which is locked in place by nut 24 with the stem 25 of the valve projecting upward-ly at the upper side of the horizontal portion of the bracket. Above the stem is mounted a horizontally disposed lever 25 pivoted at 21 to 55 a lug 28 p-rojecting outwardly at one side edge of the upright part of bracket` 23. Depression of the lever 26 will depress valve stem 25 and thus permit the iiow of air through the valve.

It will thus be observed that since lever 216 'and valve stem 25 are substantially perpendicular to each other and have only very slight motion to open the valve, that there is substantially no side thrust upon the valve stem and consequently the lever introduces substantially'no wear in the valve to which it would not ordinarily be subjected in any ordinary use. I am thus enabled to utilize a common construction of valve as found upon the market and require no special construction of valve in the carrying out of the present invention wherein the valve is an element of the combination.

Mounted uponthe lever 26 is an adjustable wear-piece 29 of angle iron formation lying flatwise upon the top of the lever. of the wear-piece next the end overlying the valve stem is tapered downwardly inward so as to provide a sharp forward upper tripping edge 36. Y This tripping edge may be adjusted toV any position in its distance from the pivoting of lever 26 by virtue of slots 3l in the iront face of said wear-piece and clamping screws 32 passing through said slots in the front edge of lever 26. By `preference a hard metal, of which steel is an example, is employed for the wear-piece so it will stand up under long usage and maintain a sharpvtn'pping edge 3l).

within a short distance of the tripping edge 36 thereof is provided a stud 33 projecting from bracket 23 transversely over said wear-pieceand constituting a stop to limit the upward movement of the lever. It will be understood that valve I'l contains a spring 34 which tends to lift the valve stem 25 which in turn tends to lift the lever 26 to bring the wear-piece substantially into engagement with said stop. However, it is to be understood that the primary function of said spring 3d is to seat the valve head 35, within the valve Il, and therefore stop 33 is no tintended to limit upward movement of the valve stem, but merely to prevent the lever from undue movement away from the valve stem when the valve stern is in its uppermost position. The said stud 33 has a face thereof away from thepivot end of lever 26 sloped downwardly forward toward the ltripping end of the wear-piece, but with the plane of the slope of the stud ntersecting'the said wear-piece slightly back of the said tripping edge for purpose which will presently appear.

Above the said stud is a rocker member 36 which is pivoted, as by a stud screw 3l, next its upper end to swing on an axis substantially above and parallel to the longitudinal dimension or axis 0f stud 33. This rocker 36 provides ajvertical socket or slideway within which is mounted a sliding bar conveniently referred Yto as trigger 38. This trigger has a lower converging lip 39 one tapered face of which is in constant engagement with the tapered or sloping face of stud 33. The lower end of this converging lip provides arsharp corner adapted to slide along the upper face of the wear-piece and pass off theend edge 30 thereof. Here again, it is Ypreferable to Vemploy a hard metal, such as steel, so as to prevent wear as much as possible and keep a sharp releasing edge on the trigger. ByA virtue of the tapering of said lip and said stud, downward depressioncf the trigger obtains Van angular displacement thereof inthe direction toward the said end edge 30 of the wear-piece, as clearly shown in Figure 5.V As 'soon as theY lip passes offof said end edge of The extremity' the Wear-piece, the lever 26 may immediately be swung upwardly by virtue of the valvespring34, and in doing so will cause the said end edge 30 to ride upwardly upon the tapered face of the lip of the trigger which is at that time ineffective Y in depressing the said lever.

V'I'he trigger is actuated downward by an appropriate moving part of the press, designated by Said moving part 40 ,ofV Vthe press may accordingly have a'considerable reference numeral 40.

greater movement than` the desired amount of depression for the valve; and the valve Ais not aifected by any lack of precision in the length of stroke of the said moving part of the press.` OnY the other hand the amount of movement of the valve stem can` be very precisely regulated, being made to remain open for a longer period, where such is desired, by projecting the wear-piece further beyond the stud 33, which will increase the time required for the trigger to clear the end' edgey of the wear-piece.V

with the end of the wear-piece in itsV several posii tions of operation. The trigger is provided with Y a spring 42 positioned at the upper end of the rocker interposed between said end and a washerl 123 held from outward displacement on the upper endV of thetrigger by a pin 44 transverse of and through thetrigger so that the tension of the W spring will tend to raise the Vtrigger andr maintain' its upper end always in! contact with the said moving part 40 of the press.

I desire particularly tocan attentionthat lip end39 of the trigger as shown in Figure 3Y still Y remains in contact with the sloping, face of stud 33 when the moving part Mland trigger are in uppermost position. VWhile this is probably sufficient to prevent therockerfromhaving a greater retracting amplitude of swing thande- Ysired, yet I prefer to provide a positive stop 45V for the rocker which will assure the engagement Vof the tapered lip 39 with the sloping face of stud 33 even if the trigger should'be permitted torrise above the point where it engages the stud.

By the construction illustrated and described, Y

it will be observed that trigger 38.has a 'com`V ponent of motionrin a direction transverse to ,the direction of valve opening and closingmo-V tion of the stem andthat vthe trigger provides for a snap release of the stern. The snap release.'V 4 Y is obtained between two parts of which thetriggerY is one and the wear-piece istherother, both of which are hard metal, and the lateral motion of the trigger with respect to thestem isa mo. tion which is longitudinalk of the second part,`

namely, is longitudinal of the wear-piece Vand, lever.Y By this arrangement I overcome any tendciok ency to deform the valve stem, or-to create any frictional resistance in the operation of thevalve stem Within the valve, and likewise, I avoid anyY distorting tendency with respect` to the leverV since the motion of the trigger with respectto the lever is in a direction toward and away from the trigger is substantially in a longitudinal di` re'ction of the trigger vand develops practically no wear or frictionlby sidethrus't within the sup- Y porting rocker. The greatest ylikelihood of wear,

exists between thev sloping face of vstud 33 andi Y the tapered face of theV lip Y39 of the trigger, and

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y 2,151,074 ythese parts are readily accessible for oiling pur- Y poses, and all parts concerned arefreadily resis placeable, should occasion require replacement,

vwith only a few minutes interval of time for stopping the press being necessary.

I claim:

1. kIn combination with a valve having an operating stem or the like adapted to be depressed for opening the valve, of means for depressing said stem from valve closing to opening position, said meansrcomprising two parts of which one pari-ismovable with the stem and of which the kother part comprises a pivoted rocker member and a trigger slidable in said rocker member and which is adapted to move transverse to the direction of depressing and eiect a snap release of the rst said part.

- 2. A valve operating mechanism comprising in combination with a Avalve having a valve stem,

a lever extending over said valve stem and pivoted at a distance from said valve stem, a pivoted rocker having a slidable depressing trigger one endof whichris releasably engageabile on said lever and slidable past said lever when released therefrom, said trigger being thereby both pivotally and slidably mounted to engage the said lever during sliding movement of the trigger and arranged' to slide oi of the lever by the said n swinging movement of the trigger.

3. rIn combination with a valve having a projecting stem, a trigger extending in the general direction of the stem, a pivotally mounted rocker slidably supporting said trigger, and a lever interposed between the stem and trigger for imparting motion from the trigger to the stem, said ,trigger being automatically releasable in consequencev of swinging of said pivoted rocker from the depressing engagement against the lever lwhen the' stem has been depressed a predetermined distance which is less than the full stroke of vsaid trigger.

i 4.111 combination with a valve having a projecting'stem, 4,a lever extending across the end f of said stem and pivoted at a distance therefrom,

said lever having an adjustable wear-piece on the upperf'side' of said lever, a trigger projecting t0- ward said ywear-piece in the general direction of said stem, said trigger being mounted to slide toward and depress the said lever and being ymounted to swing in a direction away from the Y holding thrust of said triggerv when thereover and depressed, a pivoted rocker slidably mountingj said trigger therein, said -rocker having a lateral motion for enabling the trigger to snap off ythe edge yof said means and release the stem, said trigger being retractable in the direction of movement of the stem when releasing and adapted 'to beswung back again when retracted over said means and thereupon adapted to exert a rthrust for again depressing said valve stem.

A 6. 'Avalve actuatorcomprising in combination with a depressible valve stem, mechanism successively depressing, holding and releasing said stem comprising a trigger slidable in the same general direction as said stem, means on the end of said stem for receiving, depressing and holding thrust of said trigger when thereover and depressed, a pivoted rocker -slidably mounting said trigger therein, said rocker having a lateral motion for enabling the trigger to snap off the edge of said means and release the stem, said trigger being retractable in the direction of movement of the stem when releasing and adapted to be swung back again when retracted over said means and thereupon adapted to exert a thrust for again depressing said valve stem, and a spring on the trigger tending to normally slide the trigger to its retracted position.

7. A valve actuator comprising in combination with a depressible valve stem, mechanism successvely depressing, holding and releasing said stem comprising a trigger slidable in the same general' direction as said stem, means on the end of said stem for receiving, depressing and holding thrust of said trigger when thereover and depressed, a pivoted rocker slidably mounting said trigger therein, said rocker having a lateral motion for enabling the trigger to snap oii' the edge of said means and release the stem,

said trigger being retractable in the direction of movement of the stem when releasing and adapted to be swung back again when retracted over said means and thereupon adapted to exert a thrust for again depressing said valve stem, and a spring attached to the rocker tensioned to normally swing the rocker to draw the trigger laterally and position it over said means.

8. A valve actuator comprising in combination with a depressible valve stem, mechanism succe'ssivelyk depressing, holding and releasing said stem comprising a trigger slidable in the same general direction as said stem, means on the end of said stem for receiving, depressing and holding thrust of saidgtrigger when thereover and depressed, a pivoted rocker slidably mounting said trigger therein, said rocker having a rlateral motion for enabling the trigger to snap said trigger being retractable in the direction ofy movement of the stem when releasing and adapted to be swung back again when retracted over said means and thereupon adapted to exert a thrust for again depressing said valve stem, and a spring attached to the rocker tensioned to normally swing the rocker to draw the trigger laterally and position it over said means, and a spring on the trigger tending to normally slide the trigger to its retracted position.

9. A valve actuator comprising in combina--v tion with a depressible valve stem, mechanism successively depressing, holding and releasing said stem comprising a trigger slidable in the same general direction as said stem, a pivoted lever having a portion thereof overlying said stem, said trigger being engageable at its end upon said lever for actuating the lever to depress said stem, a rocker slidably supporting said trigger enabling the trigger to swing and disengage said lever, and a stop in engagement with said trigger for guiding said trigger off of said lever as the trigger is slid in the general direction of the stem and for guiding the trigger back onto the upper side of said lever when said trigger is retracted.

TI-IEODORE J. BEREGI-I. 

